Record of a Thousand Lives

Chapter 160

Kwak!

Just before the wall closed up completely, Kang Yoon-Soo wedged his sword into it. They collided with a loud screech before the wall opened once again.

Minerva looked at Kang Yoon-Soo and asked, “I thought you didn’t bring any coffee?”

“I’ll make it for you,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Hmm… Come in, then,” Minerva said.

Kang Yoon-Soo entered the area behind the wall, and the others followed behind him. What greeted them inside was a large, expansive laboratory.

Henrick carefully looked around and said, “It’s much larger than it looks from outside.”

The laboratory was the size of a small mansion, filled with bookshelves and various kinds of tools that the party could only guess the purpose of. There was also a set of stairs that seemed to lead to an upper floor and a lower floor in the corner.

“This is strange… There shouldn’t be a room this big, based on the layout of the library…” Henrick muttered.

“I think I know why. We’ve been to a similar place before,” Shaneth said, walking carefully to avoid bumping into numerous strange-looking creatures trapped in glass vessels. She continued, “I’m certain that this is a space made through alchemy, just like the Chimera Dimension or the vampire city Sanguineum.”

Iris sniffed around like a puppy and said, “This place is filled with some kind of mysterious smell.”

Minerva suddenly asked without taking her eyes off the book she was reading, “Are you good at making coffee?”

“I know how to choose quality beans,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“That’s good. I wouldn’t have let you take a single step into my laboratory if you were bad at making coffee,” Minerva pointed to a room on the far side and added, “The ingredients are in that room. Please make me a coffee within thirty minutes.”

The party moved toward the room Minerva had pointed to, and a bright, warm light greeted them the moment they opened the door.

Henrick squinted the moment they stepped into the room and asked, “Do you guys see that? I haven’t gone crazy, right?”

“Yes, I see it clearly too,” Shaneth replied.

Henrick licked his lips and said, “That’s a relief. At least I know I’m not the only one who’s gone crazy.”

Iris could not help but say in astonishment, “There is a miniature sun in here!”

A small source of light floated near the ceiling, the ground was covered in fine dirt, and there was even a little stream flowing in the distance. However, the most amazing things in the room were the rows of coffee trees bathing in the sunlight.

Kang Yoon-Soo started to pick the ripe red coffee fruits.

Shaneth could not help but ask, “Why are these here?”

“Coffee trees are tropical plants. They grow in warm places,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Then… Don’t tell me… Is that the sun…?” Shaneth asked.

“Yeah,” Kang Yoon-Soo responded.

“You mean … A sun was created for this room just to grow coffee…?” Shaneth asked with a shocked expression. She continued, “But who has the ability to make a sun in a room?”

“Minerva,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Shaneth gulped dryly and asked, “Is that woman really the Ancient Hero, Minerva?”

“Yes,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

“Didn’t she die a long time ago, though? I clearly remember watching the story where she died, back when we excavated the tablet at the Red Rock Excavators’ site. How is she alive then?” Shaneth asked, looking confused.

“You’ll find out soon,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied. Shaneth was all the more baffled by the answer, however.

It was then that Kang Yoon-Soo looked at her and said, “Help me.”

“What should I do?” Shaneth asked.

“We need to roast the coffee fruits with fire,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Kang Yoon-Soo and Shaneth got to work processing the coffee fruits. The coffee trees Minerva cultivated were of a special strain, which was why they were able to skip the lengthy process of drying the fruits. Kang Yoon-Soo peeled the fruits in the flowing stream, and Shaneth ignited a flame on her finger.

Iris, on the other hand, was still crying while staring at the coffee fruits. She placed one in her mouth, but scrunched up her face, saying, “It tastes horrible. It’s too sour.” However, she plucked another coffee fruit and placed it in her mouth once again.

Henrick could not help but laugh and ask, “I thought you said it didn’t taste good? Why do you keep eating more?”

“It is strangely addictive. It feels as if my mind is getting clearer,” Iris replied.

A strong, savory aroma rose from the coffee beans as they were roasted over the fire. Kang Yoon-Soo took out a thin cloth and teapot from his backpack, followed by some wooden utensils. He then placed the roasted coffee beans on top of the thin piece of cloth, and poured hot water over them numerous times. That was how he was able to extract a hot cup of coffee from fresh coffee beans.

Just then, Iris placed her hand on her chest and gasped for breath. “Hoo… Haa… Hoo… Ha…?My heart is beating like crazy…!” Then, she added while still crying, “I think I am in love...”

Henrick clicked his tongue and said, “Of course your heart would race after you ate so many coffee fruits.”

They brought the cup of coffee to Minerva, and she closed her book before bringing the cup to her mouth. “Hmm…” she murmured. She took a sip of the hot cup of coffee and said, “It’s so-so.”

“You know, people often put poison in coffee,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“Did you say something?” Minerva asked.

“No, nothing,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Minerva then put down the wooden cup and asked, “So, why have you come here?”

“Wow, I thought you were never going to ask,” Henrick grumbled. However, Shaneth elbowed him in the stomach.

Kang Yoon-Soo replied, “Please teach me the secrets of your alchemy.”

“No,” Minerva said, refusing outright.

It was then that Iris stepped forward while still crying and said, “I want to stop crying. My eyes hurt now. Is there any way to fix this?”

“Oh, so you were a doppelganger. Please come closer,” Minerva said in a voice much gentler than the one she had used for Kang Yoon-Soo. Then, she stroked Iris’ cheek before saying in a stiff and formal tone, “The ingredients I have been using for my research seem to have negatively affected you. I tried not to let it spread to the library. I apologize.”

She took out a flask of liquid and handed it to Iris, saying, “Drink this.”

“Is this tasty?” Iris asked.

Minerva slightly furrowed her brow and said, “You don’t drink medicine for its taste.”

“That is unfortunate,” Iris said in disappointment before drinking the medicine. Then, the tears that had been flowing like a never-ending monsoon rain immediately stopped. She smiled brightly and said, “Minerva is a good person.”

“What do you mean?” Minerva asked.

“Did you not help me stop crying?” Iris said.

Minerva stared at Iris for a while, tilting her head, then said, “You’re too innocent, but it’s not as if I’m going to believe you.”

Iris tilted her head in confusion and said, “I did not lie. Is Minerva not a good person?”

“You can’t call someone who’s dead a person,” Minerva said with a strange hint of coldness in her voice.

Henrick furrowed his brow and said, “Hold up. You’re already dead? Then are you a ghost right now or something?”

“This is a space I made with alchemy. I can exist like an ordinary person here, but I can’t survive outside,” Minerva replied. Her attitude was stiff and cold, but she politely responded to every single one of their questions.

It was Shaneth who next spoke. “Excuse me, Minerva-nim. Why are you alone in this place?”

“I made a promise with my comrade before. We promised not to go to the underworld and leave our souls behind, in order to pass on our inheritance to our successors,” Minerva replied.

Kang Yoon-Soo was fully aware of which comrade Minerva had made the promise with; it was none other than the Ultimate Necromancer, Nakron.

Minerva sat back in her seat and opened a book, asking, “Now, are you satisfied? I have no idea how you managed to clear all of those difficult trials, but I’m not interested in knowing. Please, leave now.”

Kang Yoon-Soo shook his head and replied, “No, we can’t.” He added, “I have to inherit the secrets of the Great Alchemist before I go.”

“Why?” Minerva asked.

.

“I’m currently doing a legendary quest,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Minerva’s brows twitched for a moment before she said, “I can’t pass you the secrets just because of that.”

Then, Henrick suddenly interjected, “You said the reason why you were still here was to pass your skills and items on to your successor, right? Then, why can’t you pass them to this guy?”

“It’s because I can’t trust that man,” Minerva replied.

“Hmm… I can’t say you’re wrong on that one…” Henrick said, biting his lips.

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at Henrick and asked, “Why?”

“Don’t you remember how many people you’ve scammed…?” Henrick asked in response.

Minerva said in a low voice, “I haven’t been able to easily trust people since I died.”

Shaneth remembered the scene of Minerva’s death she had seen at the Red Rock Excavator’s excavation site and thought, ‘I’m sure she’s emotionally scarred from that experience.’

Minerva had fought alongside the other Ancient Heroes to stop the invasion of Pandemonium, but she was betrayed in the end by the King of All Things, Sirian. However, Shaneth did not mention any of that, as she was certain that saying such words would reopen old wounds for Minerva.

“You died because the King of All Things, Sirian betrayed you,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“…” Shaneth was speechless from shock, and she glared at Kang Yoon-Soo.

Minerva frowned and she spat, “Don’t you dare mention that name in front of me.” Her calm, composed tone was nowhere to be found, replaced with one of hostility.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo did not stop, adding, “Sirian is still alive.”

“Shut your mouth!” Minerva shouted as her eyes flashed with rage.

Kang Yoon-Soo looked unfazed as he replied, “I don’t want to.”

Crack… Clang!

One of the glass vessels containing hideous-looking creatures broke as Minerva clenched her fist, and the being inside walked out. The creature closely resembled the homunculi Kang Yoon-Soo’s party had fought against in the Chimera Dimension.

“Sirian? I lost everything because of that damn traitor! My life was ruined because of him, even though I trusted him the most among all the people I knew!” Minerva screamed, and her eyes started to tremble with rage. Her expression was filled with a mix of anger, anxiety, and horror. Horrible memories seemed to be flooding into her mind, and she trembled as if she were having a flashback.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo continued, “I have to go to the Magic Tower of the Colossi and meet that man.”

“I said, shut your mouth!” Minerva screamed once again, and two homunculi charged fiercely at Kang Yoon-Soo. However, Kang Yoon-Soo did not move a single step.

Right at the moment when the sharp claws of the homunculi were about to slash across his face…

Kwachik!

Shaneth’s scythe flickered outward, while Rick leaped out after being summoned by Henrick. They ripped the homunculi to shreds.

Henrick grumbled while controlling Rick with his mana threads, “I wish that guy would learn how to say things less directly. It seems we’re going to have to fight against an Ancient Hero now!”

Shaneth let out a sigh, then gripped her scythe tightly and said, “I feel the same… I really don’t want to die, though…”

Iris said, tears welling up in her eyes, “I really feel like crying now…!”

Rick nodded while blushing slightly and said, “I don’t mind dying as long as Henrick dies with me…”

“Just go back into the box…” Henrick muttered.

Minerva pulled her hair so hard it seemed as if she might actually rip it out, shouting, “Don’t…! Don’t make me remember anything about Sirian…!” Her unstable mental state made her voice tremble as she screamed, “What do you know about my grudge? Do you know how much I hate that man? I’ll never, ever forgive that man. I’ll curse him for eternity! So, please! Don’t make me remember that incident!”

Kang Yoon-Soo took a step forward.

“Don’t come any closer!” Minerva shouted. She glared at Kang Yoon-Soo with eyes full of hatred and said, “You justice-loving adventurers will probably tell me to forgive him. You’ll just try to convince me that it’s all in the past. He was a close comrade of mine, so I should just ascend to the afterlife, right? I’m just a dead person to you guys, right? Don’t make me laugh! Don’t you dare try to pity me when you know nothing about me!”

Minerva started to speak even more rapidly, seemingly descending into madness, “Do you know how cruel the word ‘forgiveness’ sounds to someone like me who’s been betrayed? Why should I be the one to forgive and forget? I still know to get angry when I’m taken advantage of, you know. Why should I be the one to forgive when I was the one who was wronged?”

Kang Yoon-Soo grabbed Minerva’s trembling shoulders, but in response, she balled up a fist. Kang Yoon-Soo’s comrades did not even have the time to react as three homunculi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stabbed their claws into his shoulders. Blood started to drip down his sleeves and his flesh was torn apart, but he did not even bat an eyelid.

“I’ll grant you your wish,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

Minerva looked up and stared at the man in front of her with trembling eyes, then asked, “What… did you… just say…?”

“I understand your grudge. I completely understand the grudge of having someone you love taken away from you,” Kang Yoon-Soo said. Then, he added firmly, “I’ll kill Sirian for you. I’ll deliver your vengeance.”

1. In real life, of course, coffee beans need to be ground first. Minerva’s coffee beans really are special.

2. She actually uses a Korean idiom here, basically the equivalent of saying she won’t let people walk over her in English.